Topics

With John Philip Sousa's famous "high-wire" song playing in the background (The Washington Post), the New York Jets circus is rolling back into town. Brace yourself for daily updates on the fates of Mark Sanchez, after his rancid performance and benching Sunday, and backups QBs Greg McElroy and He Who Shall Always Be Named.

2. More QB shuffling

Will Ben Roethlisberger's aching shoulder heal enough to allow him to return to the Steelers for Sunday's home game against San Diego? Will Arizona stick with poor, overmatched rookie Ryan Lindley? Will Oakland give someone other than Carson Palmer a chance? Philly has decided to stick with Nick Foles for the remainder of the season.

3. AFC wild-card hunt

If you consider the Colts a lock for one of the AFC wild-card spots (at 8-4), Pittsburgh's big win in Baltimore not only made the AFC North a race again, it rendered the other wild-card spot a two-team race, at least for now, between the Steelers and similarly 7-5 Cincinnati Bengals. The three 5-7 teams (Buffalo, Miami, New York Jets) are longshots.

4. Beware the Seahawks

One of the teams in the crazy NFC wild-card playoff hunt is bound to get hot. Will it be 7-5 Seattle? The NFL's most-travelled team has but one remaining road game -- against Buffalo in Toronto a week from Sunday. The Seahawks are undefeated at home and host the Cards, 49ers and Rams.

5. Bounty players' appeal hearings continue

Reports suggested the first hearings held last week by former commissioner Paul Tagliabue on the appeals of the suspended bountygate players were long and intensive. More such hearings are expected this week. Could an end finally be in sight to this ridicu-mess? We can only pray.

TAKING STOCK

GOING UP

The Denver Broncos defence. Only Houston, Baltimore and Pittsburgh have allowed fewer points in the AFC, and Sunday the Broncos shut down hot Tampa Bay rookie running back Doug Martin (56 yards) and held the Bucs to 306 total yards.

GOING DOWN

The suddenly not-so-vaunted Bears defence. Injuries are playing a part, but by December most teams have a couple banged-up star players. Chicago's latest: LB Brian Urlacher and CB Tim Jennings. Rookie QB Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offence chewed up the Chicago D for 25 first downs, 459 yards and a 23-17 OT win.

ON THE HOT SEAT

New York Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum.

Sing it: O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, why'd you re-sign Mark Sanchez? It'll cost you multi-millions, to dump him in the flanges. Tim Tebow in the Wildcat, like Sanchez has just fallen flat. O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum, beware how Woody blanches.

KRYK'S NFL REPLAY

HYPE

We're buying

Pittsburgh Steelers' Shaun Suisham of Wallaceburg, Ont., is having a dream season for a placekicker. He leads the league in field-goal percentage (96.0%), with his only miss in 25 attempts being a 53-yarder at Tennessee. His clutch 42-yarder at game's end Sunday beat arch-nemesis Baltimore.

HYPE

We're not

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant has the talent to be an NFL superstar. He caught six more passes for 98 yards Sunday night against the Eagles, including two touchdowns. And in the end, like the Beatles sang, the plays he takes off are equal to the ones he makes. Or something like that.

WOULDA

I woulda benched New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez far earlier this season than head coach Rex Ryan finally did on Sunday. With Tim Tebow out (ribs), third-stringer Greg McElroy got his chance. Sanchez's confidence was long since shot.

SHOULDA

I thought the NFL shoulda waited until Monday night to allow the Kansas City Chiefs to play the Carolina Panthers. We'll look back at the Jovan Belcher tragedy and wonder how the hell the Chiefs -- especially head coach Romeo Crennel, who watched Belcher kill himself -- played a football game 28 hours later.

COULDA

The Minnesota Vikings coulda been 7-5, tied in second place in the NFC North, if they'd been able to win either at Chicago or Green Bay the past two weeks, just a game out of first place, with Chicago visiting this Sunday. Instead, the Vikings lost both games and are 6-6, two games behind the Bears and Packers.

GOAT OF THE WEEK

David Akers, PK, 49ers.

For the second time in four weeks, Akers missed a field goal in OT that would have beaten the St. Louis Rams -- a 41-yarder in Week 10, a 51-yarder Sunday. The Niners tied the first game and lost Sunday. Akers is now an unacceptable 7-of-15 from beyond 39 yards.

HERO OF THE WEEK

Charlie Batch, QB, Steelers.

Two weeks ago, many were saying, "He's still in the NFL?" He is. And he played like a champion subbing for Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich, in a game at Baltimore the Steelers just had to win. Batch was 25-of-36 for 276 yards and was clutch down the stretch.

With John Philip Sousa's famous "high-wire" song playing in the background (The Washington Post), the New York Jets circus is rolling back into town. Brace yourself for daily updates on the fates of Mark Sanchez, after his rancid performance and benching Sunday, and backups QBs Greg McElroy and He Who Shall Always Be Named.

2. More QB shuffling

Will Ben Roethlisberger's aching shoulder heal enough to allow him to return to the Steelers for Sunday's home game against San Diego? Will Arizona stick with poor, overmatched rookie Ryan Lindley? Will Oakland give someone other than Carson Palmer a chance? Philly has decided to stick with Nick Foles for the remainder of the season.